Friday, May 15, 2009

Leaping Ahead a Few Spaces   [Jonah Goldberg]

Well, it seems increasingly plausible that there can be no "truth commission" without Nancy Pelosi's resignation. The dynamic reminds me of the tectonic pressures against Rep. Bob Livingston during the Clinton impeachment. It was impossible to impeach Clinton and keep Livingston in as Speaker-to-be, because Livingston's own adultery had been exposed. (Of course, some like me would argue that Clinton's behavior wasn't merely about adultery). Livingston understood that the rank-and-file were committed to impeachment, so he got out of the way (a move the Clinton White House begged Livingston not to make). It remains to be seen whether the rank and file of the Dems are equally committed to some kind of truth commission/anti-Bush witch hunt, but if they are, Nancy Pelosi stands in their way. One of several interesting questions is: Who will want her to stay and who will want her to go? For Republicans, this might be a tough question. Remember all of the debate among Democrats about whether a damaged Tom Delay was more useful than a politically dead Tom Delay? Steny Hoyer would be a far more effective leader of the Democrats in Congress, I would bet. Of course, Republicans haven't been a fraction as effective demonizing Pelosi as the Dems were in demonizing Delay. Also, would Obama prefer to have Hoyer in there to make the trains run on time? Or would he prefer Pelosi, a liberal who could play leftist bad cop for him?

05/15 10:04 AMShare